Amtrak is seeking a partnership with private developer Texas Central Partners to study and move forward with plans to build a bullet train from Dallas to Houston, which has been stalled for years.
The U.S. national railroad company made the announcement in a news release Wednesday. The company said it has been working with Texas Central, which has been behind the stalled project since 2016, on various efforts.
The plan has been in the works for about a decade, but remained unclear as Texas Central battled tax issues and the resignation of its CEO. Last year, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that Texas Central, as an “intercity electric railroad company,” could use prominent land to acquire land for bullet trains.
The Houston-based private company has had a long-standing dispute with Texans Against High-Speed Rail, a group concerned about the potential use of Texas Central's prominent domain. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Texans Against High-Speed Rail said in a Facebook post Wednesday that it is calling on state and local legislators, legislators, and neighbors to “remind them that HSR is being brought back from the dead by Amtrak. I called on them to let us know.” entity. ”
Amtrak said the train's proposed route would span more than 340 miles and have a total travel time of less than 90 minutes. We aim to reproduce the Tokaido Shinkansen system in Japan.
Texas Central CEO Michael Bui said in a statement that the company believes Amtrak could be the perfect partner for this project.
The railroad company said the project is estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 100,000 tons per year, and that its construction and operation will create “thousands of high-paying construction jobs and nearly 1,000 long-term jobs.” “It will bring significant economic benefits to the region.” , skilled operations and maintenance positions. ”
Amtrak and Texas Central have applied for a federal grant to conduct further research and design work on the train, according to a news release. These include an integrated grant program for rail infrastructure safety and improvements; Corridor identification and development programs. and the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program. Funding for at least one of these grants was included in the bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
In a written statement accompanying the release, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said initiatives like the bullet train “will propel Dallas toward an even more prosperous future.”
“High-speed rail will revolutionize transportation in our region, catalyzing economic growth and strengthening connectivity between Texas residents and businesses,” Johnson said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner echoed similar sentiments, calling the collaboration between Amtrak and Texas Central “an important milestone for the City of Houston and this project.” He added that the partnership will accelerate the planning and analysis needed for the “successful implementation” of a rail system between the two cities.
Rep. Colin Allred (D-Dallas), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said in a statement. dallas morning news Through a spokesperson, the partnership “will help make high-speed rail a reality, further connecting Dallas and Houston, creating jobs and growing the economy in the process.”
State lawmakers have proposed a series of bills in the Texas House of Representatives to increase financial transparency related to projects and ensure there are no environmental impacts associated with construction. One of the House bills aims to ensure that private companies cannot use prominent land for high-speed rail projects.
Only one of the four bills was voted out of committee, and none passed the House.
